Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balti and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Balti: $974 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

47

Cost of Living Index in Balti
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Balti Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Balti

🇲🇩 Moldova

$974

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balti and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balti and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $974 per month in Balti vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Balti $974
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Balti vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Balti $1,414
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,854 per month in Balti vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Balti $1,854
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Balti is about 19% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Balti and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Balti 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.51 MDL 152

$10.92 MX$204

-22.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.53 MDL 403

$43.37 MX$808

-48.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MDL 185

$11.78 MX$220

-12.14%

Cappuccino

$1.74 MDL 31.14

$3.81 MX$71.0

-54.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MDL 19.00

$1.28 MX$23.90

-17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MDL 11.70

$0.78 MX$14.59

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 MDL 20.09

$3.17 MX$59.0

-64.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MDL 24.61

$4.93 MX$92.0

-72.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MDL 21.54

$1.41 MX$26.22

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 MDL 8.03

$2.22 MX$41.33

-79.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MDL 27.47

$1.42 MX$26.42

8.45%

Eggs

$2.15 MDL 38.48

$2.52 MX$47.03

-14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 MDL 121

$7.26 MX$135

-6.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.70 MDL 84.1

$7.70 MX$143

-38.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 MDL 111

$12.69 MX$237

-51.30%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 MDL 17.68

$2.78 MX$51.9

-64.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 41.03

$1.37 MX$25.50

67.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MDL 33.65

$2.55 MX$47.55

-26.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MDL 40.87

$2.12 MX$39.58

8.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MDL 12.77

$1.94 MX$36.13

-63.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 MDL 9.21

$1.89 MX$35.16

-72.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 MDL 7.71

$1.15 MX$21.37

-62.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MDL 9.73

$1.18 MX$21.98

-54.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 MDL 58.5

$4.30 MX$80.1

-23.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MDL 77.6

$9.95 MX$185

-56.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MDL 24.21

$1.58 MX$29.52

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 35.67

$2.67 MX$49.79

-25.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MDL 6.15

$0.55 MX$10.31

-38.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 MDL 300

$26.62 MX$496

-36.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 MDL 49.41

$4.97 MX$92.6

-44.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MDL 4.25

$3.33 MX$62.1

-92.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MDL 97.4

$5.36 MX$99.8

1.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 MDL 29.00

$1.44 MX$26.92

12.50%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.4K MDL 597.1K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

61.60%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.1K MDL 430.5K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

2.60%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$220 MDL 3,942

$84.8 MX$1,581

160.03%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.74 MDL 138

$23.41 MX$436

-66.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.03 MDL 197

$28.66 MX$534

-61.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 MDL 659

$57.1 MX$1,063

-35.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 MDL 274

$28.91 MX$539

-46.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 MDL 136

$5.14 MX$95.8

48.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$113 MDL 2,012

$207 MX$3,851

-45.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,113 MDL 91.4K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

30.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MDL 794

$43.35 MX$808

2.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.84 MDL 605

$41.44 MX$772

-18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 MDL 994

$74.2 MX$1,383

-25.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 MDL 910

$89.3 MX$1,664

-42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 MDL 7,093

$980 MX$18.3K

-59.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 MDL 5,004

$381 MX$7,099

-26.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MDL 11.7K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-61.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 MDL 8,859

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-53.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,399 MDL 25.0K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-64.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 MDL 17.7K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-83.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$606 MDL 10.8K

$735 MX$13.7K

-17.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-30.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Balti: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Balti

$280 28.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 36.1% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balti

$239 24.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 42.8% $102

Groceries & Markets

Balti

$162 16.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 57% $93

Eating Out

Balti

$135 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 49.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Balti

$83 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 34.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Balti

$52 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 29.3% $15

Getting Around

Balti

$22 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 128% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Balti versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Balti versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $255 – making Balti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Balti

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

7 h behind Balti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

144,800

149,923

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.59 USD

100 MDL = 5.02 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 17.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.02 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balti Playa del Carmen 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Balti
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Balti vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $974 in Balti, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Balti comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,461 per month in Balti and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balti, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $397 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $113 per month in Balti and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Balti, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Balti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Balti – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Balti. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.